Brisbane to Bunderberg then back to the outback.....

Halfway through January and I've still to catch up on our journey since September but frankly - the internet is really unreliable so it took a back step. 

For those of you that don't know yet, our plans have changed - instead of returning home for a visit we are now coming home to settle again, Dave has secured a job with Ashburton District Council at the new EA Networks Leisure centre - (the role is very similar to his Christchurch work prior to the earthquakes) so we both felt it was an opportunity too good to turn down and that we are ready to return home.  After travelling around for a few months the lure of work and routine is there and we are too young to retire yet!  We will return to Australia in the future to continue our journey up the centre and over to Western Australia. 

It was fun to be on the road again and after enjoying lots of R&R on the coast at Mooloolaba, Noosa, Rainbow Beach, Tin Can Bay, Hervey Bay, and Elliot heads we headed North to Calliope, then inland onto Biloela with its dam and the Callide mine (a bit of a blot on the landscape).  From there we went to the wonderful Cania Gorge great walks, and wild life and did a few day trips in and around the area, then onto Monto, Mundubbera, Kingaroy, Kilcoy, Mt Mee, Woodford, Dayboro and back to the coast again.  We did many day trips on our stays and found some wonderful little country towns. Cooroy, Pomona, Kin Kin, Lake Weyba, Bjelke Peterson Dam, Biggenden, Gayndah, Paradise Dam, Childers and many more.

We have been in Brisbane house sitting and dog minding over the busy Christmas New year camping season and head back to New Zealand at the end of January.  It's been fun writing the blog - and sharing our travels, with over 3,000 views of the blog I hope some have found it interesting......

Following are some of the many photo's over the past few months. 

Beautiful Rainbow Beach

 

 

Catch ups with some of our lovely friends and fellow travellers

   

 

Gold Coast with Jimmy, Ron, Marie and family 

 

Carlo Sand blow - Rainbow beach

 

            Elliot Heads

  

 Checking for wildlife

 

 

Our lunchtime visitor - A green tree snake dropped from the tree! 

 

 

 Another of our furry friends

 

 

 Another family who we had some lovely times with Clem and Indie

 

 

      

Les on our big day trip

 

 

    

     Childers original pharmacy museum

   

      

Gladstone

 

 

Gladstone - more mining!

 

   

 

 

 

Paradise Lake

            

Cania Gorge 

 

      

 

 

 

   

Amazing sunsets 

        

Bird life

        

 

         Flora & Fauna at the Gorge

  

 

 

 

Lake Cania

 

 

  

 

More road signs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wonderful Bunya Mountain  

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

The bower bird - love all things that sparkle

 

Lunch time! No feeding

 

 

My big hate - BATS - at Kilcoy Camp

 

  Hotel Cecil Murgon

 

 

Special celebration for a special birthday - Dave's 60th

 

 

     

 

Our lovely Victorian family who adopted us at our last camp at Mooloolaba

  Lilly Alex & Harry

             

 

Caravan park communal herb garden

          

 

 

Don't see much of this!  A welcome change.

 

 

Just passing the time, reading, scrabble, cards

 

 

 Stunning Montville (stepping in Mum and Dads footsteps, one of their favourite spots on the Sunshine Coast)

 

 

 Maleny - Sunshine Coast hinterland

A tropical Christmas in a very humid Brisbane

 

    

 

 Christmas Brunch with our wee dog sit girls

 

      

   

Another of our dog sits 

 

   

So it's goodbye from him and farewell from her.  See you in

New Zealand.